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First Phase of Governors Island Renovation Begins

By Lisa W. Foderaro May 24, 2012 4:23 pmMay 24, 2012 4:23 pm

Ruth Fremson/The New York TimesMayor Michael R. Bloomberg, with Julie Menin, chairwoman of Community Board 1, announced the first development phase of the Governors Island park at the island’s ferry terminal in Manhattan on Thursday.

In the past few years, Governors Island, the former military base in New York Harbor, has become the “it” summer destination for savvy New Yorkers. With free ferry service to the island on weekends, bicycle rentals, art exhibitions, food festivals, music and other cultural programs, Governors Island drew nearly a half-million visitors last year, up from 8,000 visitors in 2005.

So it might surprise some people to know that the park is yet to be developed. But on Thursday, under leaden skies, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and other officials announced the start of the first phase of the island’s development: 30 acres of new formal gardens, lawns and play areas, including a hammock grove and two ball fields with a million-dollar view — directly into the gaze of the Statue of Liberty.

The $260 million worth of construction also includes several major infrastructure initiatives. In fact, the bulk of the capital budget will go toward repairing and replacing the 2.2-mile sea wall, building a pipe from Brooklyn to bring potable water to the island, upgrading the electrical and telecommunications systems, and tearing down 18 derelict structures, including an empty Burger King and a 13-story apartment building that had been used when the island was an active base.

“Governors Island is the centerpiece of our efforts to revitalize New York City’s waterfront,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference, which was moved to the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan because of rain. “In 2010, we promised that our administration would make Governors Island a destination that New Yorkers and visitors would be able to enjoy for generations. Today’s park groundbreaking takes us one step closer to that goal.”

The island opens for the season on Saturday and will again offer free ferry service from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Unlike past summers, however, the island will be closed on Fridays, because of the renovation work.

Visitors will again be able to rent bikes – 500 are available, including children’s bicycles and so-called surreys that accommodate up to four adults. And this summer there will be new offerings, including a major exhibition in Building 110 called “Graphic Design – Now in Production,” organized by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt design museum and the Walker Art Center, and math workshops and games organized by a nonprofit group, Better Living Through Mathematics.

Eventually, the island is to include commercial development, as envisioned when Governors Island was transferred by the federal government to the state and city in 2003. The city, which assumed control of the island two years ago, insists that it be self-sustaining. And while there will be no stand-alone housing, a 24/7 atmosphere is planned, with possible hotels and college dormitories.

There is ample room for new construction. The new parkland, designed by the landscape architecture firm West 8, will be flanked by 33 acres of developable space, and there are also 1.4 million square feet of historic buildings, mostly brick and clapboard, that can be converted for both nonprofit and for-profit use.

But for now, the city is focused on making the island a must-see leisure destination through whimsical activities and amenities. One of the most popular offerings is avant-garde miniature golf, in which each hole was designed by a different artist. “People tell us it’s like a mini-vacation,” said Leslie Koch, president of the Trust for Governors Island. “New York is a place of creativity and culture, and we like to think that we’re the city’s cultural backyard.”

Also opening this weekend is Castle Williams, a former military fortification managed by the National Park Service that has undergone a $6 million rehabilitation. The round sandstone structure, which was used as a military prison until shortly before it was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1966, is part of Governors Island National Monument. The site’s 22 acres also includes Fort Jay, a star-shaped former defensive structure. Both forts will be open for free tours this summer.

Inside Castle Williams, where workers had to remove lead and asbestos, visitors can see the drafty stone prison cells that had originally served as gun placements. “If you ended up at Castle Williams, you were bad,” said Michael B. Shaver, chief ranger for the Governors Island National Monument.

The new parkland is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2013. But the 172-acre island will eventually have more public space, also designed by West 8. The next phase, which is neither budgeted nor scheduled, will include a section called the Hills, featuring sculpted knolls on what is now flat landfill, as well as a wetland garden and large terrace facing the Statue of Liberty. Future plans also call for a “Great Promenade” encircling the island, with a new balustrade to replace the low chain-link fence.

“The mental map of New York was always introverted and suddenly here is a larger landscape where you can see the sunset and see the boats and smell the tides,” said Adriaan H. Geuze, lead designer and president of West 8. “From Manhattan we see the Statue of Liberty at an angle. But on Governors Island you look into her face. It gives a different perspective on the scenery that is already there. That’s what parks do.”

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